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Max Verstappen has sent out an ominous warning to Red Bull, as the driver is clear that he would stay at the team and wants to see progress being made. The Dutch driver has been a part of the Austrian setup ever since he stepped into F1 in 2015. His first team was Toro Rosso, where he spent just a little more than a year.
Soon after, he was promoted to Red Bull, where he made an instant impression by winning his very first race with the team. After years of maturing, the Dutch driver won his first title in 2021 and has been undefeated since then.
With that being said, Max Verstappen has not had the best run lately with the team. Red Bull dominated the sport in 2023, where it lost just once in the entire season. The team's form nosedived in 2024, while the Dutch driver just scraped through with the title.
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In 2025, Red Bull has stabilized its position in the field, but Max Verstappen still has the second-fastest car on the grid behind the McLaren. As a result, he's only third in the championship, his worst position in the standings since 2022.
This has led to questions about the Dutch driver's future with the team. While Max Verstappen continues to reaffirm that he is going to be with Red Bull until the end of his contract, in conversation with the Telegraph, the driver specified that he would want to see improvement from the team. He said,
"I did always say that to the team. That's the intention, unless strange things happen. But that [a departure] is not my intention at the moment. Because first I want to see how the rest of the season – or at least part of it – goes. That big, decent steps can be made by the team."
Next few races important for Max Verstappen and Red Bull's future
Max Verstappen also made it clear that the next few races are crucial not only for Red Bull but for his future as well. The slump that started almost a year back has caused a lot of headaches for the Austrian team and left the Dutch driver in a position where fighting for wins is a bit of a novelty. Talking about the importance of the next few races, he said,
"The next few races are very important. Yes, also for my future. Then I'm not even necessarily just talking about next year, but in general. I think everyone in the team realizes that too.”
Max Verstappen is currently third in the championship and 32 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. He would be hoping for a strong run this weekend in a bid to keep his championship hopes alive.
